Image of Judi Oyama captured by David Burnett  - ESPN Magazine

We are super stoked to see our rad OG skater friend, Judi Oyama, featured in a 2-page spread in ESPN Magzine this week! World-renowned photographer, David Burnett, did a series of portraits featuring senior athletes (more on espn.com) but this was the only photo of the series featured in the magazine!

Judi is 59 years young and has been skating since the 70's - she still races slalom competitively and skates bowls. She is also the owner of Badass Skatemom apparel - which is appropriate on many levels! 

Burnett's "Fourth Quarter" images are currently on display in Sarasota, Florida at the Ringling Museum. 

World Class Athlete, Nora Vasconcellos, knows what time it is. It’s time to start taking skateboarding super duper serious!

As the 2019 Vans Park Series kicks off its fourth season in Shanghai, China Nora pulls back the shower curtain to reveal the secrets to her success.

 If you’re a skateboarder wondering how to podium in the ultra-competitive world of skateboarding, wonder no more!

Nora shares everything it takes to be a winner, on and off the board. Now drop and give us 720!


Music: Josh Landau/Eliminator
Music Directed: Chris Nieratko & Ted Newsome
Filmed & Edited: Ted Newsome
Filmed: Ricki Bedenbaugh
Audio: Casey Hartig

For a few months, we've been seeing posts on Nora's Instagram about "Patti People" and tags for the @patti Instagram floating across our feed. Many people have been wondered what it was and what the result would be from this road trip in a old black limo that skateboarder Nora Vasconcellos, and surfers Laura Enever and Jaleesa Vincent were on together. The photos and clips posted were visually intriguing.

LA and NYC each had a premier of the film "THIS WAY" and now you can see it too. It's visually stunning, different and creative - something we all need to see more of these days.

The film is about;

"Two surfers. One skateboarder. One 1994 stretch limo. 120 cans of PBR. One long road down the east coast of the US. 9 days of fucken good times".

Director: Scott Wynn and Elley Norman
Filmer: Andrew Schoener
Editor: Scott Wynn
Photographer: Coco Loberg

Music:

'Get Go' Kim and the Created
'Les be in Love' Surfbort
'Little Yellow Spider' Devendra Banhart

Kisa, Yndiara, Sakura - Photo Acosta via VPS

Sakura's winning run!

Shanghai, CHINA (May 18, 2019) – The next generation of park terrain icons have stepped forth into the light and the kids are alright. Vans Park Series named  17-year-old Sakura Yosozumi (JPN) the winner of the VPS Women's Shanghai stop. Showcasing a remarkable compilation of rising stars and emerging international talent, the VPS Shanghai event gave way for the most exciting contenders and tour challengers to prove their medal and shift the narrative for the 2019 season. Yosozumi emerged guns blazing, effortlessly landing a variety of technical tricks at every wall she could find. Her execution of a difficult backside noseblunt revert in the last seconds of her winning run was the true stunner, and without a doubt sealed the win.

On the women’s podium, Japan’s 18-year-old Kisa Nakamura placed 2nd, having made an incredible comeback final run despite an injury, and the unstoppable Yndiara Asp in 3rd, whose speed and power are proof of her consistent podium record.

Congrats to all the ladies for an incredible contest!

Sakura  Yosozumi  ~  Photo Acosta via VPS

Kisa Nakamura  ~  Photo Acosta via VPS

Yndiara Asp   ~  Photo Acosta via VPS

Women's podium  ~  Photo Acosta for VPS

Final Reults - 2019 VPS Women’s Pro Tour, Shanghai

1. Sakura Yosozumi (JPN)
2. Kisa Nakamura (JPN)
3. Yndiara Asp (BRA)

Poppy Starr Olsen. Photo via VPS

The 4th annual Vans Park Series 2019 Pro Tour Heads to Shanghai, China May 17-18 and you can watch the women compete LIVE!


LIVE BROADCAST AIRS ON MAY 17-18

Watch it all go down at  vansparkseries.com


TIMES FOR WOMEN'S FINALS

Los Angeles – 9pm to 10pm (Friday, May 17)
New York – 12am to 1am  (Saturday, May 18)
London – 5am to 6am  (Saturday, May 18)
Sao Paulo – 1am to 2am (Saturday, May 18)
Sydney – 2pm to 3pm (Saturday, May 18)



Costa Mesa, CALIF. (May 8, 2019) – Vans Park Series is prepping the field for the world’s best professional park terrain skateboarders to meet in Shanghai, China to kick off the 2019 VPS Pro Tour. Established in 2016, Vans Park Series has journeyed to inspire youth around the world by promoting skateboarding’s creative culture and its renowned showcase of park terrain competition, now in its fourth consecutive season.

VPS Select Men and Women Pros will go head-to-head with Challengers and Wildcards at the first stop of the season in Shanghai, China on May 17-18. The Yangpu Shipyard, where the tour opener will take place, is located in the northern part of Shanghai’s city center, at the waterfront of the Huangpu River and the original industrial heart of Shanghai.

Some of the notable female athletes include Sakura Yosozumi who made a name for herself at her first VPS podium appearance at the 2017 Asian Championships in Singapore, Lizzie Armanto, one of the fierce females leading the charge in skate will be one of the tour wildcards, and Brighton Zeuner, the defending 2018 VPS Women’s World Champion who continues to inspire with her unique style on and off the board. Others to watch are Hawaiian-native Jordyn Barratt, Brazilian standout Yndiara Asp, and Poppy Olsen, the 18-year-old Aussie winner of this year’s VPS Oceania Regional Championships.

This year marks the second time the Park Series comes to Shanghai, and additionally marks the 30th anniversary of skateboarding in China. In honor of this anniversary, Vans Legend Steve Caballero, the first pro skateboarder to ever visit China in 1994, will be making a return visit to support and cheer on the Vans Park Series competitors.

Tony Hawk will make his Vans Park Series Commentator Debut on Live Broadcast as well!

Known for its unrivaled combination of speed, style, flow, amplitude and creativity, park terrain is the fastest growing discipline in competitive skateboarding today. The Park Series has made historic progress in the evolution of professional skateboarding and champions its reputation as the first premier league for the park terrain skateboarding discipline.

The 2019 Vans Park Series Pro Tour will be streamed live on vansparkseries.com, and can also be viewed in mainland China through a livestreaming partnership with Tencent. The final roster of select pros, challengers and wildcards for the 2019 VPS Pro Tour is now available online at vansparkseries.com.



2019 VANS PARK SERIES - PRO TOUR SCHEDULE


Pro Tour

Shanghai, China      May 17-18, 2019

São Paulo, Brazil    June 22-23, 2019

Montréal, Canada   July 12-13, 2019

Paris-Chelles, France   August 9-10, 2019


World Championships

Salt Lake City, United States    September 6-7, 2019



Women’s Format

5 skater Heats for Prelims and Semi-Finals

4 runs each

Best run counts

Max 40 seconds or skate until you fall

Top 5 from Prelims advance to Semifinals

They meet the pre-seeded Select Pros (8) and Tour Wildcards (2)

Top 8 from Semi-Finals advance to Finals

Same format In the Finals: First wall rebate on last run only, one time only, clock resets



Women's Prize Purse

1st: $20,000
2nd: $15,000
3rd: $10,000
4th: $5,000
5th: $4,000
6th: $3,000
7th: $2,000
8th: $1,500
9th-15th $1,000

Jessie Frietze-Armenta - 2018 Overall Ladies Division Winner

GET READY LADIES!!!

This year the OG Jam Series has expanded by adding stops in Northern California in addition to their usual Southern California events. That means a full season of skating, competing and hanging with friends at some familiar locations - and some new ones!

Get ready for a road trip and try and skate some of the new Norcal locations they've added. But in the end, it will be Nor Cal vs So Cal come November with the exact location TBD.

This year there is a Full Membership fee "Broken Bones"of $29 for the die hard OG'S, includes entry (unless the park has a fee) and a tee shirt.


Bare Bones $15 includes entry into all events unless the park has a fee. This is perfect if you dont know how many events you can skate.

So grab your GF's are get ready to skate, have fun and road trip together. The Ladies Division is age 25 years and UP and we know there are plenty of you out there that want to skate!

The first stop is this weekend in Fontana - Saturday, May 18th at 4 PM!!


Afraid as an adult to get back out there and skate/compete?  Jessie said it best at the end of last season:

"The OG Jam Series has really been an epic ride. I never thought I'd compete again after age 11. I thought skateboarding was done foe me. These jams have really ignited that fire. The nervesness goes away more and more with each stop I skate and the experience has pushed me to land things I never have before. I encourage more girls to get out there and have some fun next season"  

Photo Tom Servais

The movie "Trouble - The Lisa Andersen story" launches today on Itunes - we saw it last night and it was everything we had hoped for and more.

Lisa is a pro surfer that has been in it for generations now and paved the way for so many girls out there. This film sheds a light on just how hard that path was at times, sharing stories of her early life that few know.

It's a must-see - even for skaters - trust us!!

Check out pro skater Nicole Hause in this new Nike "Dream With Us" video. You can catch her briefly at 0.59 seconds during the skate section. As Nike says; "Having a dream won’t change the world. Sharing one will."

Watch the entire video because it's that good!

This is a huge year for downhill skateboarding! They are working towards Olympic dreams, with the first step being the World Roller Games in Barcelona, Spain this coming July! With the recognition of their sport and inclusion in this prestigious event, the USA has announced its national women's team!

The USA women's downhill skateboarding team is so excited to have the honor to represent at the World Roller Games in Barcelona 2019, but they need YOUR help to make it there!

With the announcement of this privilege coming only a couple of months out, the USA Women's team is seeking financial assistance now on their way to Spain!

The money will go towards flights, entry fees, team leathers, and accommodations. They want to make sure the USA National team makes it out to this event to properly represent the USA! The more funds they make, the closer they can get towards making sure each woman gets to the event! From there they can move towards team leather suits, helmets, other gear and the chance to continue on to more events!

The funds are needed within the next couple of weeks so they can secure enough time to arrange their flights, entries, and accommodations. This is a last minute ordeal, but with your help, THEY WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN!

The USA National Women's Team is comprised of the most hard-working, strong, and inspirational women in downhill skateboarding.

MEET THE TEAM!!

Photo by CGSA

Emily Pross. Emily is the most dominant female force in the WORLD. She has taken the crown for top Women internationally 3 years running, undefeated! AND she dominates against the boys, scoring top 10 in the world for the past two years and counting! She is one of the hardest working, most skilled skateboarders in the downhill scene today and she has continued plans for domination. Nothing will stand in her way as she fights to win every race, versus the guys and the gals.

Photo by Jeff Suchy

Rachel Bruskoff. Rachel, or Bagels as she is called, is known for her upbeat attitude and big smile. She has been competing on the world circuit for 5 years and has accomplished 2nd and 3rd place world titles among many other first places and podium finishes. Her love of riding has taken her all over the globe, chasing competition and the love and thrill of skating. She is a driving force behind the skate community, on and off her board, bringing inspiration and encouragement through her videos, social media, and natural positive energy. But don't let her smile fool you, she is a tough competitor that will fight to win!

Photo by CGSA

Teresa Gillcrist. Teresa is a 21 year old cultural anthropology student at UCLA in California. She has been skating for many years but began her journey into the race scene in 2018. Ever since she started racing, she has been a force in the women's scene, progressing as quickly as she skates. She is currently traveling the world chasing the IDF tour, conquering all race tracks and competition she comes across!

Photo by Arirang Hill

Julia Barklow. Julia is what we'd call the face of stoke. She is a 25-year mapping professional born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. Once she realized her passion for downhill skateboarding, she became obsessed with skating and learned about traveling the world for international races. Within the first two years of learning to downhill skateboard, she gained sponsorship with local companies and bought registration to races in Australia and New Zealand, Whistler, and the USA. She has since traveled to over 15 countries and competed in events in Australia-Asia, North America, and Europe, meeting roads and skaters of all different backgrounds. She has taken on the world tour with strong finishes and always a positive vibe. She is ecstatic about the opportunity to represent the USA in Barcelona!

Photo via Gravity Fest

Ashley Winecoff. Ashley Winecoff hails from North Carolina and started racing back in 2016. Hailing from the "mecca" of downhill skateboarding spots in North Carolina, she has honed in her skills and is a force to reckon with. She has only competed in the USA national circuit, to where she came out with top finishes! Now she is ready and stoked to take her edge across the ocean to Spain!

Photo by CK Photography

Candy Dungan. Candy is one of the most motivational women in our sport. When she was competing, she was a huge force, ranking 2nd in the USA in 2016 and 5th in the world in 2017. Last year, she got into an accident that left her paralyzed. She has battled and come back from many doctors thinking she'd never walk again to having mobility and working hard every day to regain what she can. She plans to keep riding, however she can, whether it comes the day she can stand up again, or she is inventing her own forms of hybrid boards to get her out there. She won't be racing with us this year in Barcelona, but she will be there supporting the USA and her fellow teammates!


The team has set up a Go Fund Me page and is making it clear that no donation is too small - because it all adds up to helping them get to Barcelona, Spain to compete for the USA in July.

You can donate via the link HERE. 

Congrats ladies!!!

Dailynn having fun at The Venice Ladies Jam ~  Photo Ian Logan

Big congrats to Dailynn Halub for winning the Grand Prize at the Venice Ladies Skate Jam!  Thanks to the generous people at Elemental Awareness and the YMCA Skate Camp, Dailynn will receive a full week at the YMCA Skate Camp in the Sequoia forest during "Girls Week" which kicks off July 21-26.

Dailynn will get to skate and progress with 65-70 other girls during "Girls Week" at the YMCA Skate Camp, which not only offers skateboarding but traditional camp activities as well. The camp is set in the beautiful Sequoia forest and gives kids ages 8 years old to 17 years old the opportunity to get away from the city, enjoy the full camp experience, along with working with counselors that can help them progress in skateboarding.

Dailynn ~ Photo Ryan Halub

 How do we choose the winner of the Venice Ladies Jam Grand Prize?

It's not an easy task but we can tell you that it's not about being on podium or making that hard trick on the first try, it's about character, having fun over winning, respecting and encouraging others, and skateboarding for the pure love of it. Dailynn represents all of these things and the OG Jam Series crew and Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word are honored to be able to present her with this award.

Being able to give Dailynn, our grand prize winner, a session during YMCA SKATE CAMP "Girls Week" is very special, because when girls all come together in a welcoming environment, their skateboarding progresses faster. Not only that, but they make awesome female friends in the skate community and create relationships that last a lifetime.

Dailynn at Venice Ladies Jam ~ Photo Shawna Real

Can you imagine Dailynn having so many other girls to skate with for a solid week? Throw in camp fires, water sports, music, art, Elemental Awareness,  Zines and DIY projects that you build and skate, and you've got a jam-packed, super rad week with new skate friends!

No matter what type of skateboarding Dailynn wants to do this summer, YMCA SKATE CAMP  has it ALL!

For street enthusiasts they have:

~ LAKE SIDE STREET COURSE

~ PIRATES COVE PARK

~ STREET PLAZA


For transition skaters you'll want to hit:

~ 64 FT MEGA MINI RAMP

~ 7 FT BOWL

~ 4FT LAKE SIDE MINI RAMP






We know Dailynn is going to have an excellent time at YMCA x Elemental Awareness Skate Camp!

Congrats Dailynn!!


** If a girl you know would like to join Dailynn at camp during girls week there are still spots available and you can get all the info and sign up HERE

Photo Chris Hooten

Photo Ian Logan

Pioneer Gale Webb was given the ICON award at Skateboarding Hall of Fame this year - a well-deserved honor and one that in our opinion, was long overdue. This lady has been fearlessly leading the charge for kids skateboarding since the '70s and without her, a lot of us wouldn't be the skaters we are. Her motto has always been "get high on sports" "never give up" and "follow your dreams". Gale has done just that her entire life - from racing motocross, to snowboarding, to skateboarding half-pipes to skydiving, Gale has excelled in it all. So honored to see this moment in skateboard history.

Desiree Von Essen Harrington competed and excelled in both slalom and freestyle back in the mid '70s. She also liked to soul surf at her favorite place the Spillway, hitting the banked walls with style and grace. She was featured in Skateboarder Magazine in a "Who's Hot" back in 1976 and appeared on The Perry Como TV Special (as Desiree said in her induction speech, "being on that show back in the day is comparable to being on the Ellen show now") during the time she skateboarded.  Later in life Desiree taught skiing in Colorado and has kept up the active action sports lifestyle she loves with mountain biking, skiing and snowboarding.

Edie Robertson skated for Sims in the mid-'70s. She did slalom, freestyle and also rode pools. This Santa Barbara native was also in the movie SKATEBOARD back in the day. When Tom Sims developed his Sims/Barfoot snowboard in 1978 Edie was the first girl to ride powder on what was to become the new craze, snowboarding. Later Edie went on to be the lead singer of an all-girl punk band Sherock that was the first American rock band to tour and record an album in China. She now is a well known private chef in her hometown of Santa Barbara and sings with her band Jayne Wayne.

Thanks to Skateboarding Hall of Fame for an amazing night that was held at The Globe Theater in Downtown Los Angeles and hosted by Adidas, Vans and IASC.

When you are in or near Los Angeles, make sure you check out the  Skateboard Hall of Fame Mueum in Simi Valley - it's brand new, beautiful and chock full of skate history!


2019 Skateboarding Hall of Fame Inductees

Gale Webb - Icon Award
Cris Dawson
Kevin "The Worm" Anderson
Desiree Von Essen Harrington
Edie Robertson
Val Surf - Icon Award
Tom "Wally" Inouye
Ray "Bones" Rodriguez
Micke Alba
Jeff Phillips
Kona Skatepark - Icon Award
Jason Lee

Kamali

We've been a fan of director Sasha Rainbow since we saw British band Wild Beast’s music
video ‘Alpha Female’ that she directed. The video, filmed in India was about girls breaking gender stereotypes through skateboarding. And it was so powerful taht we watched it on repeat for months!

Now Sasha has a new film out, "KAMALI".  The film recently won Best Short Documentary at Academy Award qualifying Atlanta and also Best Director at Mumbai Shorts International Film Festival, and it's headed to win more awards by the looks of it.

Watch the trailer for KAMALI here

Seven-year-old Kamali is the only girl skateboarder in a small fishing village in India where, by chance, a skate ramp happened to be built right outside her house. Kamali is the youngest of three generations of women living together in her home. Suganthi, Kamali’s timorous mother, was locked away as a child until the day she was married. Having recently found the courage to leave her abusive
husband, Suganthi decides to take a pilgrimage in a quest for self-discovery. As mother and daughter are separated for the first time, both must find their freedom as they dare to step outside into a man’s world.


The film, shot in the traditional fishing village of Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, follows the story of
Kamali Prakash, a charismatic seven-year-old making waves in her village, the skating community, and soon, worldwide. Kamali and her family open their doors into the rarely seen world of a traditional Indian fishing family trying to create a positive future for themselves.

photo of Kamali by Daniel Kagoo

"Kamali’s story represents an incredible moment in India and shows how massive change can start with just one person. I wanted to create a film that celebrates everyone who takes the risk to be themselves. I believe skateboarding is a symbol of going against the grain, standing boldly in front of society and taking ownership of one’s life. I feel that Kamali’s mother Suganthi, and others like her, hidden by the walls of their homes, are heroes who should be celebrated for their quiet bravery.
I hope this film does just that."

~ Sasha Rainbow

Q&A with director Sasha Rainbow and her film KAMALI

What brought you to make the Kamali documentary?

It was by chance that I met Suganthi, Kamali’s mother, while shooting the Alpha Female music video for Wild Beasts about the new female skateboarding movement in India. Suganthi’s fight to empower her daughter was incredibly moving and I felt it was important to share her story.

What’s the message you wanted to get across though this?

I think in the current political climate people need to be reminded that there are incredible, positive things going on that can create a wave of inspiration. I wanted to create a film that celebrates the risk people take to live their truth, despite all odds and show how great change can start with just one person.

How was your overall experience of India?

This was my third time in India; each time has been a different experience! We were lucky in that
Kamali’s family really took us in. We experienced home cooking on an open fire, hidden villages, local markets.I wouldn’t say it’s the easiest place to work, but the people, the food (best vegetarian in the world), the colours and the music...it’s such a special place.

What are your thoughts of the skateboarding scene in India?

I sense such community there. It feels like the skateboard crew Holystoked have built a community where people feel they can be themselves and express themselves without judgement. Skateboarding is a symbol for these women, a symbol of going against the grain, standing boldly in front of
society and taking ownership of their lives. It symbolizes freedom and choices for these young girls, and it’s awesome to see just how much it’s helping these girls develop their confidence, and how much the men have supported the women.

Do you have a message you’d like to share?

Every one is a winner when women are emancipated

 Billabong, unveils their latest female content series for 2019, "Know the Feeling." The progressive video series features multiple female surfers, including world-renowned athlete Laura Enever, as well as three young women, Monica Guo, Meryem El Gardoum and Natasha Sand, who are pioneering women's surfing in China, Morocco and Sri Lanka.

Shot in each of the women's hometowns, the campaign shares both the inspiring women's stories of breaking through cultural norms to become surfers and also a local perspective on the food, environment, and people that make their surf community unique.

The "Know the Feeling" video series is about the magic of the ocean that connects us all. It's for the women who see the sea not as limiting, but as an invitation. This latest campaign from Billabong showcases the power of what surfing can bring to an individual and community, and how wherever our travels take us, no matter what language you may speak, in the ocean we are all connected with the same voice. The bond we forge across the sea is a freedom, a familiarity. And when you feel it, you'll know.

"Know the Feeling" can be viewed this season by heading to the Billabong Women's YouTube channel, where the four-part series will debut - we've posted the first two here but Sri Lanka and China are still to come - we can't wait!






The product featured in the campaign is from the latest Summer 2019 collection and is available at Billabong.com. For more information and to shop the latest collection of swimwear, visit the site, or follow the brand on Instagram @BillabongWomens.

Happy Monday - hope you are as inspired now to jump into the week as we are!

Bryce Wettstein has a new edit out for 2019. Give it a watch and see what this newly minted USA National Team rider has been up to as she prepares for a full season of comps leading up to the 2020 Olympics!

Brighton Zeuner 2018 World Champion ~ Photo Acosta

Watch the official VPS 2019 trailer

Costa Mesa, CALIF. (April 30, 2019) – Returning for a fourth season of historic skateboarding competition, Vans Park Series reveals the official 2019 VPS Pro Tour roster, set to showcase the largest, most sought-after field of exciting park terrain talent from around the world—featuring the top-ranking men and women pros from the 2018 season, along with new Tour Challengers and Wildcards. VPS Select Pros in the men’s division are pre-seeded directly into the semi-finals at every VPS Pro Tour qualifying event, to be met by qualifying Tour Challengers who are in pursuit of valuable points toward their final year-end rankings and a chance to compete in the 2019 VPS World Championships in Salt Lake City, USA. For the first stop of 2019, competitors will head back to Shanghai, China on May 17, for their first chance to build their tour rankings.

Vans Park Series remains committed to endorsing prize parity for men and women at every stop this year. Expanding the opportunity for women talent even further, the 2019 VPS Women’s Pro Tour stops are open for registration at all Pro Tour locations, to present a truly international and diverse range of talent in the women’s field. Prospective women’s competitors are encouraged to enter here. See below for the full list of invitees for the 2019 season. 

The 2019 Vans Park Series Pro Tour will be broadcast live on vansparkseries.com, beginning May 18. Adding to the suspense for the first stop, VPS recently announced skateboarding legend Tony Hawk as the newest addition to the team. Hawk will bring a lifetime of expertise to the Vans Park Series premium live broadcast, providing global viewers and listeners with an exhilarating, competitive skateboarding showcase experience. 

Women’s Select Pros

Brighton Zeuner

Jordan Barratt

Kisa Nakamura

Kokona Hiraki

Nicole Hause

Poppy Starr Olsen

Yndiara Asp

Women’s Wildcards

Lizzie Armanto

Nora Vasconcellos

*To claim their invitations to the 2019 VPS World Championships, invitees are required to compete in three of four VPS Pro Tour global qualifying events, leaving final athlete participation to be confirmed on day of competition. For the 2019 season, all Women’s qualifier events are open for registration to all women’s competitors who are not already on the VPS circuit. Stay tuned to www.vansparkseries.com for final qualifying athlete confirmations for the 2019 VPS Pro Tour.

2019 VANS PARK SERIES PRO TOUR SCHEDULE

Shanghai, China
May 18

São Paulo, Brazil
June 23

Montreal, Canada
July 13

Paris, France
August 10

World Championships

Salt Lake City, USA
September 7

 Cover: Helena Long  ~ Photo: Rich West ~ Illustration Liisa Chisholm

 UK pro skater Helena Long graces the cover of Vague Skate Mag this month - and we were told that Helena is the FIRST female skater to be on the cover of any UK skate mag in history. So rad!!

Helena took 1st place in street a few weeks back at the UK National Championships and has been on the scene for many years, skating anything and everything the UK has to offer and absolutely killing it. The girl is badass and this honor is only fitting!

Make sure you order issue #8 with Helena on the cover HERE

Anastaysia

Reagan

Lauren Allik

Briel Weingartner

Kala Baltasar

Meredith Loewenstein

Penny P.

Ruby Lilley

Vianez Morales

Dalia Lundquist

Elle Warne

Felicia

Dailynn Rae

Michelle Yoon

Lauren Allik

Amy Bradshaw

Cheryl Milstien

Jessie Frietze-Armenta

Collette Peterson

Julie Goforth

Tracie Garacochea

Photos Ian Logan for Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word

Please feel fee to share your photo on social media - we just ask that you please credit @ianloganphoto and @girlisnota4letterword - thanks! 

The 4th Annual Venice Ladies Jam kicked off Saturday AM under cloudy and unseasonably cool temps but that didn't stop the girls from skating hard and having fun. At the crack of dawn the park was filling up with girls practicing their runs and high-fiving one another.  The youngest competitor this year was 2 years old and the oldest in her mid 50's!

We met ladies like Steph from The Babes Brigade, who came all the way from Toronto to support and who filmed live so that the girls in Canada could see what was happening in Venice! OG skater Denise Fleming came all the way down from Sacramento to shred, and little Elle Warner drove in with her family from Utah to have some fun.

All the girls cheered one another on during the comps and every girl in the 8 and under "pup cup"  got a medal and a sponsor goodie bag - for some of the girls this was their very first contest and it was a perfect one, as the day is really all about having fun and cheering one another on!

The best part of this event is seeing so many girls come out and skate, meet one another, form friendships and they now have a group of girls to continue skating with throughout the year. That's what keeps these girls progressing.

Huge thanks to the City of Los Angeles, Venice Rec & Parks, Skate Park Association International, Heidi Lemmon, Lance Lemond, Kimi Kallman, Bart the fabulous announcer, all the judges and volunteers, the photographers who covered the event, as well as the numerous sponsors who sent so much product that the  girls went home with a big bags of swag.

Hope to see everyone again next year!


** Please check out our instagram for additional coverage of the event!

If you know who someone is that we did not name - please DM us on instagram and tell us so we can add!  Thanks!

VPS Huntington Beach  Photo Ian Logan

Helmets. They've been a hot topic since the '70s when skateparks were being developed and skaters were challenging their limits beyond banked alleys and sidewalks.

To wear a helmet or not to wear one?

Skateparks back then charged fees to enter and full safety gear was required and enforced - so you had to comply. If you look back at most of the photos from that era of skateboarders in skateparks you'll see both pads and helmets.

Cindy Whitehead at Skateboard World Skatepark circa 1976

When you look at backyard pool photos from the '70s on you'll see a very different story - no rules being enforced and we were free to do as we pleased. And to be honest, scaling a fence to skate an empty backyard pool is not for kids who "follow the rules".

Some people wonder why you'd choose not to wear a helmet when it seems so obvious that your head is super important and needs protection in case of a fall. I personally know the feeling of flying up an empty pool wall and having my hair flying in the wind, it feels freeing and it takes me back to when we all started skating and there were no rules, pads or helmets foisted upon us.

There were times at the skatepark when I'd fall (with a helmet on) and have to go to the hospital, and after examining me and running some tests, the doctor would say to my mom "it's just a mild concussion".

These words used to comfort my mom and she'd breathe a sigh of relief. The problem is that now we know better. Any head injury or blow to the brain is never mild, or "nothing to worry about". Repetitive head slams add up to injuries that affect the brain in so many ways. We have seen these dire consequences with legends like Dave Mirra and Biker Sherlock.

So why do so many of us continue skating without a helmet?

When the skateparks started closing and dying out in the 80's street skating was born and no one wore pads or helmets, because there were again no rules or anyone to enforce that safety gear. And it was easier to skate without all that protection - pads included.

Lizzie Armanto on the covers of TransWorld Photo Jones  and Thrasher  Photo Micahel Burnett

Hardcore skateboard magazine also decided that they wouldn't feature skaters wearing pads or helmets as it wasn't as gnarly.  Part of that theory was if you even had knee pads on and didn't make a sick trick you could "slide out of it" so that wasn't core. You need to take a slam or be able to run out of it to be legit. This thought process has been ingrained into most of us at an early age in skateboarding.

Pro skateboarder Lizzie Armanto graced the cover of both Thrasher and TransWorld and while neither pic shows her wearing a helmet (she is a ProTec sponsored athlete), she does have knee pads on - so that's

some

progress!

In the past few years, we have seen people realize that skateboard helmets can be cool, lightweight with full protection and still look rad. In fact many OG skaters have now decided that their life is more imprtant than being a renegade when it comes to helmets.

In fact, our second Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word collaboration was for an

XS Helmet

that was matte black with our logo in gold on the side - it looks both badass as well as being fully certified for skateboarding. We felt that having a helmet as part of our partnerships was important in encouraging girls to skateboard.

Minna Stess  Photo Todd Fuller

Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word team rider, Minna Stess, wears hers daily and competes at the highest level as a pro skateboarder - she is 13 years old and hopefully helping to change the thought process surrounding helmets.

The Olympics are coming in 2020 and skateboarding will be part of that. The official ruling is that helmets will be required if you are under a certain age. We recently saw that the ruling was enforeced  at the UK National Championships (an Olympic qualifying event) and 10-year-old Sky Brown was seen wearing a brand new Pro-Tec during her events. We also see more and more girls here in the USA that skate park wearing helmets in competition.

Maybe it's this next generation of girls that will create the change, and make wearing a helmet as normal as putting on your sneakers to go out and skate.

Dickies Girls took over The Berrics last Wednesday and it was a "no boys allowed" session complete with a taco truck, a female DJ spinning tunes and a whole lot of fun. Check out this recap video with some great skating by Bryce Wettstein and Vianez Morales - just to name a few!

This is awesome news - the Damn AM is coming to Los Angeles and has a women's division!

The Damn AM is a top tier Amateur series of contests - so if you are an AM who is ready for some great competition make sure you sign up - you'll be required to submit a link to a recent video of yourself skating, so have that ready when felling out the online application.


DAMN AM LOS ANGELES

Los Angeles, CA / The Berrics
May 17-19, 2019

DETAILS

Register HERE


LOCATION

The Berrics
2535 E. 12th St Unit A, Los Angeles, CA 90021

FRIDAY, MAY 17

12:00PM - 8:00PM: Registration / Open Practice


SATURDAY, MAY 18

10:00am - Registration / Open Practice

11:00am – Women's Qualifiers

** Jam format, 2 skaters per jam, three minutes - Top 5 skaters advance to Finals

12:00pm - Women's Finals - 5 skaters from Qualifiers

** Three one-minute runs, best run counts

12:30pm - Women's Awards


WOMEN'S STAKES

• The top 5 will be prequalified into the Women’s Open at Tampa Pro 2020 [details TBD]
• The winner receives $500 towards travel and a Straight Shot to Semi-Finals of the Women’s Open at Tampa Pro 2020 [details TBD]
 

 

 ABOUT

The Damn Am is a global amateur skateboarding contest series. Established in 2001 by Skatepark of Tampa (SPoT), the series built on the success of Tampa Am by taking that experience on the road. Over 10,000 skaters have participated in Damn Am events including most of today’s top pros. The Damn Am series serves as the only qualifier to Tampa Am. In its 18-year history it has become the number one amateur skateboarding contest series in the world.